Man Indicted For Murder, Robbery Of Mercer County Man

A Mercer County man has been indicted on four counts in the of 60- year-old Stephen Merrill, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri said on Monday.

Jonathan Weathers, 26, of Trenton, was indicted on charges of first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder, first-degree robbery and third-degree tampering with a witness. He remains in jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

Weathers is accused of severely beating Merrill during a robbery on Aug. 2, 2016. Police say Weathers stole Merrill’s wallet, cell phone and Fitbit.

Merrill was taken to the hospital after police found him on Lamberton Street at about 3 a.m. that day. He suffered from a brain bleed, a collapsed lung, and multiple broken bones. Merrill succumbed to his injuries a couple of weeks later.

After he was arrested, police say Weathers attempted to contact a witness from jail, threatening that person to recant that testimony and not to appear in court. This is where the tampering charge originates.

The charges are a result of an investigation by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force. Assistant Prosecutor Laura Sunyak presented the case to the grand jury, which returned the indictment on Friday.

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